The Associated Press
Idaho Falls, Idaho (AP) -- An internal investigation has found procedural violations by a former Idaho State Police trooper who ran into another car while responding to a possible fire emergency.
While the violations were grounds for dismissing Trooper Laurent Brown, Idaho State Police Director Dan Charboneau said Brown left the force but was not fired earlier this month after he pleaded guilty to causing the accident last August.
No one was seriously injured when Brown’s cruiser slammed into another car as he raced toward what turned out to be a farmer burning debris.
“We feel very badly that some property was damaged and we have taken action to correct the situation,” Charboneau said.
The investigation by the Idaho State Police Office of Professional Standards found that Brown failed to consider the safety of others during the incident.
The report found that Brown was driving at an excessive speed without his overhead flashing lights on and that he made inconsistent statements about what happened. Officials also said that had he checked with a dispatcher he would have found out that there as no fire emergency.
Brown was charged with reckless driving but pleaded guilty earlier this month to failing to control his police car and paid a $53 fine.
A four-year veteran of the State Police, Brown was also involved in an accident in June 2002 that was at least partially the result of inattention, the report said.